Rising Tide
by Scarlet-MagicianX26
Summary: In a fit of desperation, a group of Abyssals try to summon a warrior to save their home from destruction - but only ends up with a common, confused, self-loathing seventeen-year-old human, brought from a world where Abyssals and shipgirls exist only in the minds of men. Facing extinction, what will they all do? Reboot of Abyssal Collection.
1. Prologue - An Act Of Desperation

**A/N:**

Hello all. Its been a while. I've been rather...busy, trying to reassign everything, sort out all the stuff I had to do.

But I guess its time to upload this.

As you can tell from the description, this is a reboot of a former series of mine, Abyssal Collection. Thanks to a few months of experience, I think I have reached a more respectable level in my writing.

Farewell, and enjoy the reboot.

-Magician

* * *

==|Prologue: An Act Of Desperation|==

A figure stood at the top of a platform, observing the world below. In the middle of what seemed like a vast ocean, amidst an endless fog, her personal domain waited below her.

A large group of humanoid beings like her surrounded the platform she was on. Many of them had twisted bodies with deathly-pale skin, dressed in torn clothing, with twisted forms of armor and weaponry attached, bolted or merged with their bodies.

The lone figure herself was free of those embellishments, dressed in a fitting suit of white and black, holding a twisted staff and wearing a black cape that billowed out behind her in the wind - if not for the enormous and monstrous hat that was perched upon her head, with what could be called tentacles coming out its sides.

And yet...for what could be known as monsters, they weren't acting like so right now. Many of them spoke with hushed tones, whispering to each other with voices full of worry and fear. Some of them pushed desperately against their fellows, hoping to get a better look at the platform itself. Others simply looked around, their faces bearing masks of confusion.

The lone figure sweeped her eyes over her pitiful assembly. While she looked around at the sobering sight, two figures came up from behind. One of them was an older woman wearing a simple dress, while the other looked about the same age as her, except wearing a revealing outfit which covered her chest and hips, leaving an exposed midriff, and a long ponytail that extended to her legs.

"Rally, Juri." The figure addressed the both of them in turn. "Has everyone been gathered?"

"Yes, Commander." Rally answered, making a short bow. "I cannot feel anyone else in any where else."

"Good." The figure replied.

A few moments passed, and a round of giggling to come from the side.

The trio turned their heads around. At the centre of the platform, a strange altar was being completed - a square disk of metal acted as the base of the structure, with four metal pillars positioned at its corners. And surrounding it was a scattered mess of wires and various crude electrical devices.

Attending the 'altar' was three other individuals dressed in ragged white robes, light appearing between their hands as they placed enchantments and spells on parts of the structure. Meanwhile, a child-like female, wearing a hood of some sort and blessed with a tail twice as big as her, was doing a silly little wave, being the source of giggling that had attracted the others' attention.

One of the robed figures made an irritated glare in her direction, but she kept cheering and dancing.  
Making a sigh, the 'commander' stepped in. "Siren. What exactly are you doing?"

The childlike figure spun around, facing her superior with a massive grin as her tail waved around in excitement. "Ah, Phoenix! I just tested my side of the summoning altar, and it works! Of course this deserves some sort of celebration!"

Behind Phoenix, Juri rolled her eyes, showing her exasperation with Siren. Meanwhile, Phoenix simply put on a stoic mask, and pushed on. "You might be excited, but please hold back your celebrations. The 'ceremony' has not started yet, and you are troubling the others."

Filled with excitement, Siren simply ignored her superior, and continued rambling without pause. "Why not? Look at what we are going to be accomplishing today - we are going to be bringing a powerful one of us to life, to give her magic beyond any other, and weapons powerful enough to decimates whole navies. With this union of science and magic, we should be cele-"

Before she continue on, Phoenix put her foot down. With the most threatening voice she could muster, she spoke, "Siren, _keep quiet._ "

The overeager 'scientist's' mouth clamped shut mid-sentence, and she retreated back to her job.

A few moments passed, before the mocking laugh of an all too familiar voice came floating by. "Typical Gatherers...and as usual, you can't even control them."

Phoenix and her aides whirled around. Stepping onto the platform, her hair tied into two buns, wearing a malignant smile on her face and a well-tailored dress, the newcomer made no effort to conceal her distaste for Phoenix. "Then again, it should be expected out of a failure like you, no spine nor power to cull even the weakest of underlings."

"It's good to see that you bothered to make yourself present here, Beacon-Of-Pride-And-Power. I thought that you would stayed where you were, sulking because nobody agreed to your plan." To her credit, Phoenix stayed her ground, refusing to let the newcomer's barbs hurt her.

The people nearby turned their heads, observing the growing feud.

Beacon ignored her counterattack, and replied in kind. "Of course I would be here. These are _my_ people that you are commanding, and it falls on me to make sure that you don't feed them any of the nonsense that you have in your useless little mind. "

Meanwhile, another figure walked up to the platform. This time, the newcomer looked like a clone of Juri, except with shorter hair and a flower in said hair. While she made no sound, she purposely tried to ignore Phoenix and her group.

Beacon smirked.

Phoenix made no sound, but a muscle in her face twitched, while she clenched her fist harder to prevent herself from losing control.

Sensing the danger, Rally stepped in between the two of them, raising a hand to calm the waters. "Enough. Are we going to perform this procedure, or are we going to continue getting embroiled in this petty dispute?"

With that, Phoenix forced herself to look away, looking at Siren and the hooded figures, who now stood facing her, their heads bowed.

"Is...is it finished?" She asked.

"It is done and ready, commander." One of the figures answered.

"Alright." The commander turned around, facing the assembled crowd. As she stepped in front of them, the continued murmuring among them fell, and they all looked at her with solemn faces.

Bracing herself, Phoenix took a deep breath. She then raised her voice as loud as she could, and cried out.

"Sisters! My friends! As you all know, a few weeks, the humans came to our waters, attacking our homes, destroying them and throwing them into the depths of the abyss! We sent our best warriors, our finest soldiers, and fought to keep them out!"

"As you all know, we lost. What we brought was not enough to stand up to their attacks, and most of them died. Others have fled, while some return to spread the dire warning and prepare for our oncoming doom."

"But, do not fear. Even if you wanted to run, to hide, from now on we will have no need to do so!" Phoenix extended her hand behind her, pointing at the altar behind her. "Thanks to the great minds that we have with us, we have completed a way to save us all - this machine will allow us to summon powerful warriors that will aid us against the humans, to protect us from the death and doom they bring."

"So all of you, brace yourselves, and await our salvation."

As she finished, she surveyed the faces of her people. Some had looks of doubts and skepticism, but slowly, yet surely, they turned to ones of hope and eagerness. Some of them began to talk in excitement, while others crouched on their knees and clasped their hands together, silent in prayer.

Watching hope slowly pour back in her people, Phoenix slowly but surely felt it fill her too. Reinvigorated, she turned to her attendees, and ordered, "Start it!"

Siren and the hooded figures obliged. Racing over, they began to draw power from themselves and the crude generators installed, and feed into the alter.

With a hum of power, the altar was filled with light, the devices and trinkets installed on it opening up and glowing as power was fed.

As the hooded figures carefully manipulated the flow of magic, a small black, light-less void appeared above the altar, its edges glowing.

As the process continued, the tear in the world slowly grew, as the four pylons on the platform lit up with energy. A stream of energy erupted from all four pylons, before forming and feeding a white ball hovering in the middle of the platform.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, the four pylons exploded, expelling a violent wave of energy

With a shriek, two of the three hooded figures collapsed, clutching their heads in pain. The rest of the people on the people were too slow to avoid the energy wave, and they were struck down by the energy wave.

"No." Phoenix cried out, as the magic and energy ran out of control. The crude electronics around the altar were destroyed one by one as feedback violently flowed through them.

With no one to control it, the black void expanded further and further, sucking the massive amounts of ambient magic to fuel its expansion.

Phoenix stood up, and attempted to take control of the rapidly collapsing situation. Extending her hands, she attempted to control the flow of energy…but found no purchase.

Try as she might, nothing happened. All around her, the shouts and screams of terrified and startled people filled the air.

 _What is happening?!_

The void grew even wider, and the flow of energy began to tug at her, pulling her towards the altar. She held on, but could feel herself getting drawn in harder...and harder.

 _Someone help! Please!_ She cried out, wishing for a miracle.

And a miracle came.

Out of a sudden, the violent flow of magic stabalised. The remaining energy was quickly sucked into the ball, and the void stopped growing, and began to shrink.

No longer being pulled, Phoenix collapsed onto her knees. The rest of the others finally found purchase on the ground, and slowly tried to pull themselves upright.

The void shrunk to a square, and after a moment, another yellow sphere emerged from it, and hovered above the larger white sphere.

As Phoenix watched, the two spheres formed into one, and a beam of light shot from it, up into the heavens.

After a while, as nothing else, Phoenix finally stood up, cautiously walking towards the altar.

 _Is it don-_

The sphere exploded, and her world was engulfed in white radiant light.


	2. 01-1 - Failure

==|Chapter 01 -1: Failure|==

Water splashed into a basin as he opened a tap, and he proceeded to grab the water messily and rinse his face with it.

Breathing heavily, the young man continued to splash his face until the tap had stopped. He then rested his arms on both sides of the basin, before raising his head to look into the mirror.

A clean-shaven face wearing a pair of spectacles and a mop of messy black hair stared back. Under it, he was wearing a smart but messed-up school uniform, parts of his shirt hanging loose from his pants, the tie twisted in various places and the jacket hanging open. Over it was slung a heavy black sling bag, which helped to crumple the uniform even more.

Staring at his messed up visage even more, the youth raised his hand and slapped the tap, causing it to spew out another burst of water. Grasping at the stream of water, the youth rubbed his face with twice as much ferocity as before, nearly causing his glasses to slip off.

Mental images went through his mind as continued to wash his face. He recalled sitting at a table, staring horrifically at a chess board as his king was caught in a trap by his opponent. The laugh and cheers of his opponent and his team as they walked away with victory in their grasp, and the disappointment on his teacher's face as he looked at his failure.

Those images, with the embarrassment and shame that came with them, burned brightly in his mind like a burning red-hot iron.

The bitter taste of defeat continued to build up in his mouth, until it became too much to bear. With a infuriated roar, he slammed his fists on the marble tiling of the sides of basin, trying to release the accumulated stress from something.

Moments later he retreated, as the pain on his hands finally appeared, causing him to hold them together, hissing in agony.

For a drawn-out period of time, he held his hands together, silently thinking of what happened earlier.

"Where did I mess up?" He croaked, grief and shame in his voice. It echoed through the empty washroom, the silence afterwards providing little balm for his feelings.

For a couple of minutes he leaned against the wall of one of the toilet stands, sulking in his lonesome. Suddenly, a loud, sonorous classical piece rang through the restroom, coming from his left side pocket.

The youth made no motion for the first several seconds, and the sound of loud drums and brass continued for several seconds before stopping. The boy waited for a few more seconds, and the piece repeated.

It continued on for yet longer until the youth acted. Reaching into his pocket, he twisted his hand about before finally retrieving a battered phone from it.

Opening the cover and flicking a finger across the screen, he answered the call.

"Hello? Daniel, where are you?" The worried voice of a teacher filtered through the speakers.

"I'm in the toilet, just relieving myself." The youth spoke, betraying no emotion in his voice..

"Look, don't give me that. You are still sulking from being beaten, aren't you?" Blunt and professional with only a hint of worry in his voice, the teacher got straight to the point.

The youth didn't answer, and the teacher continued. "Really, how many times do I have to tell you this? Don't keep taking all your losses so personally. If you keep seeing things this way, you are just going to keep giving yourself pain from now on. Just calm down and get over it."

"How can I 'get over it' when I was the only one who didn't manage to get to the end of the competition?" The youth growled, the bitterness evident in his tone.

"Look, not a lot of people got to the end of the competition too. I understand it's a disappointment that you didn't make it to the finals, but ultimately it's just a competition. Just learn to get through your mistakes. And no, I don't see any of you in any worse way just because you didn't make it into the finals." Exasperation was in the teacher's voice, as if the same conversation had been repeated over and over again.

"This isn't about how others see me - this was my only chance at competing and I lost it! I can't learn from this mistake, you know! It's the end, kaput, gone!" Angry and upset, the youth lost his composure, yelling into his phone.

Silence answered him, and his teacher simply replied. "...look, Daniel, I don't have time for this. Are you coming back or not?"

Realising he had gone too far, Daniel simply replied, "No."

"Alright. See you tomorrow, then." The line closed with a click.

Numb from the sudden rejection, the boy stared at his phone for a few moments. Dazed, he turned and made his way out of the restroom, bumping against the doorframe as he did so.

 _Did...did I just…_

Slipping through the halls of his school and out of the main gate, he ignored the calls of goodbye from the security guard, and continued to the bus stop located beside the school walls.

Finding a seat at the stop, he stared at the phone he was holding in his hand, and began berating himself.

 _What were you thinking, you idiot?! You could have not vented on him! Good fucking job, there goes another friend!_

He raised his head. ...Man, I really suck at everything. From studies to chess...

Soaked in irrational self-loathing, the youth remained silent and alone, until the bus he was waiting for arrived.

His shoulders slumped in defeat, he stepped onto the open steps of the bus -

And a sharp pain struck his body, like a spear had been driven straight into his heart. Letting out a scream, he collapsed onto the steps of the bus, clutching his chest.

As he gasped painfully on the ground, the bus captain called out to him, clutching the steering wheel of the bus, concerned. "Boy! Are you alright?!"

"Urgh...ow...I think." Wincing, the boy slowly got back onto his feet. _What was that? What hit me?_

"Are you sure? You don't need an ambulance or anything?" The bus captain asked.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Just let me get off the ground-"

A second pain came - it was as if a harpoon had been plunged into his body and was now being pulled out of him, threatening to tear his internal organs out. Screaming again, he writhed and shook on the floor, grasping his body, crying in fear of the pain that coursed through his body.

As the passengers and bus captain called for help or came along to watch in horror, the youth passed out from the intensifying pain.


	3. 01-2 - Summon

==|Chapter 01 - 2: Summon|==

Cradled in a ethereal ball of energy, a lone light was brought across universes, through the great expanse of the multiverse. A black, unsightly shroud covered it, sparking with malevolent red energy.

The soul within strained at its bonds, even as it could neither feel nor think.

Across the endless multiverse, this lone vessel travelled until it reached the world of its destination. It stopped, poised to break through the barrier that contained the world within.

And yet, before it could do so, white light illuminated the vessel. The black shroud held for barely a few moments, before it fell away, its energy dissipating into the void.

The soul was carefully, slowly brought to another holder, another being who watched the world underneath her from her carefully protected domain.

She inspected it, curious. She then examined the destination that it was headed for, the spell that contained it, and realised the dark designs meant for this soul.

Shocked, she reeled, but as she watched the light of the soul she held starting to fade, the entity quickly jumped into action. With as much speed as she could muster, she weaved a new spell about her, runes and spirals surrounding the soul until it formed a new container, one glistening with bright light.

The being turned her attention to the world below. Watching her people in turmoil and confusion as they watched their salvation spiral out of control, she quickly acted. A wave of her hands, and the singularity of energy stopped growing.

With it stabilized, the entity took the time to reform yet another spell, one more complicated this time. Imbuing it with her own essence and a link to herself, she ensured a better for the unfortunate soul that was destined for it.

With one final pang of pity, the being released the soul, and let it soar into the universe unhindered. She also found herself exhausted by her efforts, and fell into sleep herself.

* * *

Groaning, Phoenix clutched her sides as slowly pushed herself off the platform.

She watched her as her sisters, similarly struck down like her, also tried to recover from the pounding that her efforts produced on her base.

Around her, she saw several of her subjects rush onto the platform, anxious to see what had happened to their commanders. Using her staff as a support, Phoenix got to her feet, and turned to address them all.

"Is everyone alrig-" She began, but stopped.

All of her brethren were standing in shock, watching the shrine that she had erected. She turned to look at it, and she herself froze at the sight.

Beneath a strange sigil - a horizontally floating white band with lines appearing on its frontal side, a strange figure floated, wearing a strange outfit that she had never seen…

Except on pictures and memories of humans.

Dumbfounded, she looked at the sigil that hovered above the figure - or was it human? - trying to reconfirm that what she saw was real.

 _A human...and bearing the Seal of Ultra?_ Phoenix asked herself, unsure of what was going on. _Why has the Goddess given me...a hum-_

"What is this?" A forceful shout filled the air, and Phoenix turned to see Beacon push herself to the front. "Why...isn't…isn't this a human male?"

At Beacon's pronouncement, whispers appeared among their many subordinates, with some making their way to the front to see for themselves.

"That's a human? I thought they looked different…"

"Why would the spell produce a human?'

"Where are the weapons on...him? Do human males not have any weapons?"

As the questioning grew, Phoenix found herself forced to act. _If this is something delivered by the Hidden Goddess, why weren't there any orders from her about this? She would have told me in advance...maybe…_

 _Perhaps I did something wrong, and brought this human instead? Is that why I have no contact from the Goddess? No...that can't be it… what happen-_

She looked up to see Beacon and her group getting closer and closer the the human. Caught between a rock and a hard place, as she furiously debated on why her leader would send her a version of the enemy, Phoenix decided to stall for time.

"Stop, Beacon!" As her rebellious comrade turned to look at her, Phoenix restrained the fear in her heart to speak even more clearly. "This human might be dangerous! Its best if we stay back."

"Oh? Phoenix, when did you get the ability to sense magic?" In a mocking yet dangerous tone, Beacon continued to defy Phoenix's orders. "Besides, if we have a human here that's so dangerous, wouldn't it be best that we… _dispose_ of it as soon as possible?" To emphasise her point, Beacon grabbed the figure's arm - causing the light around him to fade and the motionless to figure to simply collapse on the altar - and prepared to drag it away unceremoniously.

Phoenix struggled for an answer, before finally retorting, "This is my order, and you will obey it _now._ Also, if we interrogate this human, we may be able to extract valuable information about their forces before hand."

Beacon stared at Phoenix for a few moments, before tossing the human at her, causing the figure to land on the platform with a thump. "Fine. Have your human. However, what about the warriors you _promised_?"

Facing Beacon's furious and accusatory snarl, and the rest of her brethren, Phoenix opened her mouth to respond, only to be interrupted by a cough and a groan.

Everyone turned their attention upon the figure lying at Phoenix's feet. More coughs came from him, even as his arms flailed about, searching for purchase on the platform, trying to push himself upright.

In a single moment, everyone summoned their weapons - flashes of lights appeared among the crowd as cannons, guns and torpedo launchers materialised into existence along their bodies. Some, still damaged, bleched smoke the moment they appeared, or had numerous cracks on their bodies, showing their state of disrepair. In a few moments all of these weapons were aimed and targeted at the human, set to fire with a single twitch.

The human finally managed to turn himself over, looking up with confusion on his face - and froze as he saw Phoenix towering over him.

A single sentence fell out of his mouth. "Why the fuck am I looking at Abyssals? Is this a dream, or what?"

At his words, a few of the Abyssals around him lowered their weapons, confused at how they had perfectly understood the human. Others still kept their weapons up, refusing to budge.

Phoenix herself simply became even more dumbfounded, unsure on how to proceed. For several moments, she stared at him, while his eyes continued to shift worriedly from side to side.

 _What should I do? Ultra, if please give me a sign on what to do, please!_

Even after her plea, nothing happened, except for the continued shifting of her people as they watched the human dangerously.

Seeing no answer nor response to her mental cry of help, Phoenix decided to act. In a voice full of feigned harshness, she asked, loud and clear, "Who are you, human?"

The coldness in her voice - or was it her words? - caused the human's eyes to zero in back into her face. "I-" He began, only for him to stop, his mouth still hanging in the air.

The situation remained as is. As she felt the atmosphere around her harden, Phoenix grew more impatient - and worried. Getting on one knee, she leaned towards the human's face, causing him to stumble and fall on his back, shaken. Summoning all the fierceness she could muster, and growled, "Do you understand me, human? Who. Are. _You_?"

At her question, something inside the human snapped. Realisation flowed over his dumbfounded face, causing Phoenix to relax a little -

And that expression was replaced with one of utter terror. In a single moment he let out a horrified scream, and scrambled to get away. "No no no NO NO NO! This can't be happening! This can't be fucking real!"

Panic seized Phoenix as she watched the situation unravel again - she tried to grab at him, only for him to slip under her grasp. Hyperventilating, he got to his feet, only to stop when he looked around and found no way out.

Seeing all the twisted, terrifying figures all around him, the human slowly clasped his head, muttering in a fearful yet frenzied tone. "This isn't real this isn't real this isn't real…"

Phoenix, desperately trying to find a way out herself, tried to think of a way to settle the situation, but came up with nothing.

The voice of her mentor instead came high and clear over the air. "Someone knock him out." Rally ordered.

Two Abyssals walked out of the crowd, one suddenly seizing his arms, and the other laying a savage blow to the back of his head. The human dropped like a puppet with its strings cut, lying motionless on the floor.

Not one person spoke a word for the next few moments, as if waiting for some monster to spring out out of the human.

Finally, Rally yelled, "All of you, disperse!" At her words, the gathered crowd slowly filtered away, heading back to their rooms and homes.

Meanwhile, Phoenix looked at the motionless human, and back at the shrine - it was ruined, all four pylons broken into many pieces and the precious electronic devices gathered about it all black and smoking.

 _We won't be doing that anytime soon…_ Phoenix mused.

"So...a human, and not like the one's we see. In fact, he seems to be completely terrified of us." Beacon spoke, before taking a moment to viciously kick the motionless male in his stomach. He made no sound despite the fierceness of the blow.

"What shall we do with him?" Juri asked as she walked up. At her words, Phoenix recalled the sigil that had appeared over him when he was summoned. _This is most likely Ultra's 'gift' to me...I have to do something._

"We can't just throw him to the sea." She blurted out in a moment of panic.

Beacon whirled on her. "We can't? Mind telling me why we can't? He's just a useless human. Best we kill him now lest we hear any more of his whining later."

"He could still be useful." Rally walked up, and crouched down to examine the human. "His clothes...I have seen them before. Every time a human wears this kind of clothing, the humans treat them with great care. They are like their leaders of a sort."

"If that is true, we could use him as a hostage." Juri's 'clone' walked up, standing behind Beacon.

"Not just that, Yuri." Rally spoke in a softer yet no less harsh voice. "If he is one of the human leaders...we could… _extract_ some information from him, about the humans. Information that could save us. Judging from what I see of him...he could be easy to break."

"Wait!" Suddenly, Siren came bounding into the scene, overly eager to share some information. "I just checked the energy around him - he isn't human, he's one of us!"

With that bombshell, everyone stared at her, stunned. "Siren...what do you mean?" Phoenix asked, slowly.

"I checked the magic aura around him." Grinning, the overeager scientist walked up and leaned over the 'human'. "It's not like the aura that we feel from humans, but it feels and acts like one of our own. Therefore, he must be one of us?"

"If he is one of us, then, why is he wearing human clothes and acting like one? Besides, I have never seen a 'male' among any of us." Beacon asked, perplexed.

"I don't know!" Siren answered in a chirpy-yet-infuriating tone.

For the next few moments, no one did anything, wondering what exactly was going on. Phoenix, spotting an opportunity, ordered, "Whatever he is, we can address it later. Return to your jobs, all of you. We will discuss this later. Rally, have someone bring him to the cells and lock him there."

"Understood." As Rally compiled, the rest of Phoenix's subordinates dispersed. Even Beacon was too confused to think of firing a shot at her for 'commanding her'.

As two other soldiers walked up to drag the 'human' away, Phoenix walked away from the platform, making a beeline for her quarters.

 _I must consult the Goddess…what is going on?_

==|Chapter 01 End|==


	4. 02-1 - One Short Yet Meaningful Talk

==|Chapter 02 - 1: One Short Yet Meaningful Talk|==

In an expanse of white, a boy jolted awake.

Daniel gasped madly, still confused and terrified of the sight that he had faced earlier. Grasping his face with his hands, he breathed in and out rapidly, shaking.

 _Why am I seeing Abyssals? Am I in KanColle or something? Is this real? What's going on?!_

It was only after several moments of panic that he finally realised that he was somewhere else. Not home, but not in the midst of a bunch of humanoid monstrosities.

"Where...am I now?" Putting his hand against the 'floor', he pushed himself off, moving in a way as if to avoid someone hearing him.

Not a single soul answered. Gulping, the boy adjusted his outfit, straightening his tie and pulling up his pants. Still nervous, he looked around, looking out for the Abyssals that just surrounded him -

"Hello." A voice came from behind him.

"AHHH!" Yelling, Daniel spun on his heels, his hands raised and clenched into fists, looking out for the newcomer -

And stopped, as he saw a raven-haired girl, around his age, dressed in a slim and unblemished white dress, a halo with lines across it hovering above her head. She looked at him, a frown on her clean and appealing face.

Faced with such a calm, almost benign figure, Daniel dropped his guard, and instinctively tried to make himself more presentable. "Are...are you an angel?"

At that last term, the girl - or was she a woman? - cocked her head to the side, her frown turning into confusion. "'Angel'? What do you mean by that, human?"

"Wait, you don't know what is an - oh no, you are another Abyssal, aren't you?" Hearing her words, the boy's panic came back, and he retreated a few steps back, hands raised in defense.

"Calm down. I am not going to hurt you, human." The girl stepped forward, reaching out an arm, attempting to calm him down. In response, Daniel retreated even further, clenching his fists as hard as possible, attempting to ward her off.

"S-stay back. I will fight you off if you come any closer, I swear!" he tried to threaten even as he shook on the spot.

The girl sighed, dropping her hand. As she called his bluff, the octave of her voice rose, becoming high and cold. "I doubt you could even fend anything off. Of course, if I wanted you dead I would have done it long ago, when you were asleep on my floor."

To Daniel's credit, he did not break in the face of her threat, holding his ground even as fear and the pressure of the girl's presence nailed him to the spot. The both of them stared at each other, waiting for the other to break.

Finally, Daniel dropped his ill-maintained stance, seeing some light in the girl's words. "Alright, I see your point...but then, who are you?"

The girl's voice dropped back to its original octave. "My name is...Ultra, and indeed, I am one of those you humans know as 'Abyssals'. It is a pleasure to meet you..." She stretched out an arm, offering her hand to Daniel.

Looking at her and her hand in confusion, Daniel asked, "What?"

"I believe this is a common greeting among humans, is it not?" Ultra asked.

"Um...yes. Yes it is." Still thrown off, Daniel clasped her proffered clumsily, barely shaking it.

"And may I know your name?"

"Um...just call me Daniel." The boy answered, not revealing anything more.

Ultra frowned, as if something was bothering her, but did not make anything out of it. As she let go, she looked at him with curiosity, considering what to do next.

As the Abyssal watched in silence, the events of the previous hour finally caught up with the boy, and his brain finally started to work again. "Hang on a sec! Y-you say you are an Abyssal, but you managed to bring me from...from that place to this place! Surely you have a way to bring me home right? Can you do that?"

Ultra looked at him. "No, I cannot."

"What? Why?" Confusion, followed by indignation built up in the human youth's chest when he heard her answer. "Why can't you? You just di-"

"I'm afraid you are seeing it all wrong. You are still on the platform that you were summoned on. Rather, I'm talking to you through your mind - think of this like a dream, except that everything in here - me, you, this conversation, is real."

"I- wha- I-" Spluttering, Daniel tried to formulate a response, but failed.

"If you are talking about how you were brought here, that was not of my doing, and I do not have the ability to return you. Even if I was to try, I do not know what dimension you have come from, and sending you away will have...consequences."

At her words, all Daniel could do stare in shock, trying to process her words. "I can't...go back?"

Ultra did not say anything, simply nodding once.

To Daniel, that single nod was as if the Almighty himself had him condemned to the lake of burning sulfur. All the bravado and bravery he tried to put up earlier collapsed in an instant, and he himself collapsed on the floor.

Slowly but surely, the boy began to weep, despite trying to hide his distraught from the person in front of him. Ultra herself looked down on him, not saying anything.

For a few minutes, nothing save the quiet sobs of the human was heard. Finally, Ultra spoke up. "Of course, a greater concern would be your current situation."

Daniel didn't respond until a moment later. "...what do you mean?"

Ultra didn't speak, only to kneel down, and offer a hand to the boy. He grabbed it, and with her help, was slowly lifted to his feet.

"The platform that you are on is currently under heavy attack from your kind. The humans have sent a fleet into our waters, and that fleet is about to begin besieging that platform. If they succeed, the life of everyone on that platform - alongside yours - will be forfeit."

For the second time since he awoke, Daniel stopped dead in shock. " _What?"_ But...but can't you - can't the Abyssals do anything about it? Aren't they going to defend themselves?"

"My people have already engaged the humans twic- no, thrice. And each time, I watched them fall again and again, without inflicting any major casualties on the humans."

"How about _you_? Can't you do something? Aren't you-" He looked over her, gazing at her from top to bottom. "-a goddess or something? Surely you should be able to stop them in some way?"

"I am no goddess. I am just another…'Abyssal', if I were to use your term. A powerful one perhaps, but not enough to deter the incoming human fleet. Besides...I must keep my presence hidden, as I have...enemies who would rather see me dead." Ultra answered.

Dumbfounded and horrified, "Then what can we do? What can I do? I can't...uh...can't I just surrender to the humans? If they get me perhap-"

"Would the humans believe that one of them are with their enemies?" Ultra asked, skepticism heavy in her voice. As she spoke, she also turned away from Daniel, walking in the completely opposite direction. "Also, it happens that you are no longer human - your body has been rebuilt as one of us, which means you would be definitely shot on sight the moment you approach a human."

"What?! Why?"

"Recreation of a human body is impossible. The only alternative is to forge one of our own - perfectly based off your current features, but that is where the similarities end." Ultra sighed.

As he watched Ultra walk about the place, Daniel stared at her back, his lack of trust for her growing by the moment. "...you are not lying to me about everything you just said, are you? This is getting more and more far-fetched by the moment."

"Why would I lie?" Ultra answered with another question, not bothering to turn around. "There is no reason for me to lie to you - especially if you are willing to consider an offer I have for you."

"What do you mean, 'offer'?"

The Abyssal finally spun around, her dress flowing gracefully as she did. "I want to save my people down there. You want to continue living."

"And?"

"Most of my people...they lack knowledge of war. They can fight, but when it comes to fleet battles, large battles between two powerful armies...they flail about, helpless. Easily manipulated, easily destroyed."

"But that's where you come in." A smile started to grow on her forlorn face, and she stepped towards Daniel. "You are human. You know more about them than any of us, and you have their intelligence, their knowledge. Thus, if you are willing, please take command of my people, drive away the humans, and protect them."

Ultra stepped back, giving Daniel some space to think. Meanwhile, all the young student could do was open and close his mouth again and again, utterly flabbergasted and confused.

Finally, after a minute or two, he was finally capable of voicing his thoughts. "That's...just...ridiculous. There's just so much _wrong_ with this...decision of yours, I don't even know where to begin with!"

"Please explain." Ultra responded simply.

"First...what makes you think that I would willingly work with you? If I'm right, your people effectively killed humans wantonly for no reason, didn't they? What makes me, a human, willingly work with those who butchered his race in the past?" Daniel questioned, fierceness rising in his voice.

"That...is true. However, my people have not done anything to the humans...for the past few decades or so. Furthermore, the fact remains that you are being seen as the enemy by the humans - the sword meant for my people is meant for you as well. Ultimately, you will die by their hands before you can even reveal your 'true self' to them."

Ultra paused, before adding one last sentence. "Also, I'm not asking you to work for me for the rest of your time. I just want your help for this instant."

"That...that...ugh, how is…" Scratching himself in frustration, the boy tried to continue. "Look, why would you...trust a child like me with something so important? You know that I might not know how to fight off such an attack?"

"You are young, correct, but surely you must know even a little of the human's capabilities, right? Even the tiniest amount of that knowledge can help my people defend themselves. Besides, as much as I want to help my people, you are my only option on the ground. The choice depends on you...and how much you trust your own abilities." Ultra replied.

"Wait...do you mean that you will leave those Abyssals alone if I...don't agree to work with you?" Daniel asked, incredulous.

"Yes." A tinge of sadness was in the Abyssal's voice as she answered.

"Why?"

"Like I said, if you do not agree to help, there's nothing more I can do for them. The best I can hope for is a quick death for them. And you." As she finished, she released a short, sad sigh.

At this point, Daniel had nothing left to say. He looked at her, silent, while he debated furiously on the Abyssal's offer. _Alright, Daniel, stop, stop panicking…_

 _What can I do? Ok, I know a bit of chess, and she's right that I read up a lot on military tech and likewise...but how can I hold off a whole naval fleet? That's just ridiculous!_

Still...I can't do anything but that...if I refuse...I might die, either by those Abyssals or by some others killing me...this is terrifying…

But I will be killing humans too...

At this point, Ultra spoke. "I suggest that you make your choice quickly. Someone is about to wake you up soon - and if we do not settle this now, our next meeting may not be...pleasant."

Hearing her, the boy tensed.

 _Dammit…_

"Alright, I will do it!" Throwing his hands out to vent his frustration and fear, he voiced his agreement. "I don't like it, but I...I will do it!"

"Are you sure?" Ultra asked.

"Y-y-yes." Stuttering, Daniel confirmed

Ultra looked at him. Suddenly, Daniel felt tired and fatigued, as if he needed a rest. "Alright. Now...take a rest, and I will have one of my subordinates talk to you…"

As Ultra spoke. Daniel found himself collapsing onto the floor, his vision blurring.


	5. 02-2 - Beginnings Of Trust

==|Chapter 02 - 2: Beginnings Of Trust|==

Worried footsteps thumped on metallic floorboards, their owner deep in thought.

The Abyssal named Phoenix - or rather, Giant-Phoenix-That-Watches, her name in full - walked through the corridors of her home rapidly, making a beeline for her office as fast as she could.

As she ducked through hastily-erected fortifications, her thoughts wandered back to the meeting that she just left.

Nothing had been accomplished there - everyone was arguing, Beacon again was stirring things up by attempting to force blame upon her for everything that had happened. The only thing that really happened was sending a few acknowledgments to nearby bases for their support, all thanks to Rally using her influence and abilities as an elder to make them do so...but other than that, they had all fallen into bickering.

Phoenix sighed mentally, and proceeded to push the memories of the meeting away, focusing on the subject of her...visitor.

Only one word remained in her mind - _Why?_

Her thoughts focused on the halo that had been hovering above the 'human's' head when he arrived. _The Seal of my mistress...why does he have it? Why is he even here? Did something in the summoning ritual go wrong? Or…_

I have so many questions...and so little time...

As she thought, she stepped onto the steps of a spiraling staircase, one that twirled around a tower, her home and domain at its top.

Reaching the top, she pulled a key from a carefully hidden pocket, and inserted it into the lock of the door that guarded her quarters. Turning it, she watched three runes appear in sequence, before the great metal door swung open to reveal her quarters.

Entering, she swung the door close behind her, taking great care to close, lock and secure the door. Checking it as many times as she could to ensure that no one would be able to enter, she breathed in and out, before finally leaving the door alone.

She took a look at her quarters - it was spartan, with a few windows, a table and chair in the middle of the room, a rug made from some unidentifiable material, and a bunch of shelves with various trinkets on them - keychains, glowing amulets or talismans, and perhaps a painting. A door at the end would lead to her own bedroom, but other than that there was not much else. Not surprising, given that her appointment to this position was rushed, recent, and...disliked.

 _Why did Leviathan choose me to do this again?_ Seeing the office that was only recently occupied by her erstwhile and caring mentor, Phoenix despaired a little, at the complexity and scope of her current duty, as well as the hurdles that faced her-

 _No, I cannot. I must not._ Gripping her hands, the Abyssal willed herself to push on, to continue past her fear.

For a few moments, she stood alone in silence, trying to refocus her emotions and revitalise her will. Finally, she relaxed, and with newfound determination walked to the side of the rug in her room.

Getting on her knees, she moved the rug away, revealing a hidden strongbox. She watched the door for any indication of a visitor, before crawling over to the side of the box.

Laying her left hand on the cover of the box, she steeled herself, attempting to squeeze out oven the tiniest, smallest amount of magic from within herself.

Nothing happened.

Frustrated, Phoenix huffed, before straining her mental and physical abilities even more. After a few seconds, she finally found it - a tiny amount of energy dripped from the edges of her consciousness, flowing down her arm and into her hand.

Gasping in relief, she quickly shaped that precious drop of power with her mind. Forming a spell with well practised motions, a faint light came from her hand, as a barely visible sigil appeared over it.

A moment later, the strongbox responded, a glowing pattern of sigils and lines appearing, and rotating exactly ninety degrees to the right. It slowly faded afterwards, and Phoenix grabbed the clasp at the other end of the box, opening it.

It was empty, save for a single trinket. Gently, Phoenix slipped her hands into the box, taking great care not to dent the artifact. Bringing it up, she closed the box, and placed the object on her table.

The artifact was plain - a black-painted, cubical crystal rested on a square-shaped pedestral by one of its edges, and its top had the black removed to reveal a white interior. It could have been seen as just a curiosity at best by others - had it not a suspicious-looking seal facing its user.

Phoenix went to her seat, carefully facing the object, before touching the seal.

At her touch, several lines of light appeared on the black crystal, and it began to leviate of its pedestral. The top started the glow, and the characteristic halo with three lines across it appeared above it. As the crystal continued to rise, Phoenix straightened her posture, trying to make herself look as professional as one could be.

The crystal stopped at around her eye level, and a white sigil shaped in the form of an eye appeared on it, facing her. At its appearence, Phoenix slowly felt a presence fill the room, enveloping her...except that, this presence was benevolent. Her goddess, Guardian and Watcher of her people, had answered her call-

 _"Please do not address me by those titles."_ Ultra's words cut through her thoughts like a hot knife through butter.

"I...I'm sorry, mistress." Phoenix apologised.

As Phoenix looked away from the eye in embarrassment, Ultra continued on. "In any case...I assume you are here to ask about that human?"

At the mention of her visitor, Phoenix quickly reasummed her professional posture, and quickly fired her questions in rapid succession. "What is going on? Why have you given me that human? Is he under your protection...or does h-"

"Calm down." A mental hand touched Phoenix's forehead, instantly calming down the panicked commander. "You have many questions...but do not worry, I will answer them now."

"I did not call him, or do anything with him, at first. It was only a few hours earlier that I found your spell, trapping his soul in a cage, bringing him here." Ultra began.

" _We_ summoned him?" Phoenix asked, shocked.

"Correct...at least in a sense. By all means, that spell should not have worked. It was made in a completely wrong manner, routed in a way that the energy would have backfired upon all of you when it began. But yet...it worked, and it brought him here."

Shocked, Phoenix forgot to say anything for the next few seconds. "Then, could i-"

"Let's not jump to conclusions, Phoenix. Of course, after securing his soul, I gave him my 'blessings', and let his soul continue its journey, until...where we are now."

"But why would you do that?" Phoenix queried, confused.

"Because I was hoping to get him to work with you. The expertise of a human could help very much in dealing with their ships, their powers, and their warriors."

At Ultra's last statement, Phoenix's confusion turned to skepticism. "I...do not believe that he will be willing to help us…"

"Before, when you just met him. But now, he is. I have talked to him. He is cooperative, although a little angry. It was to be expected, especially when he has gone through that kind of torture…" A note of sympathy lingered in Ultra's voice.

"I...see…" Phoenix answered. She still did not feel satisfied, but whatever her savior said about this human had sounded...sincere.

 _Still, can we really work with him?_

"I would suggest meeting him as soon as possible." Ultra added, causing Phoenix to snap out of her funk. "He is about to wake...and it will be better if you are the first to meet him, and work together."

"Alright." Phoenix nodded, and touched the device in front of her. The lights on the crystal faded away, and it spiralled back onto its pedestral. As it turned inert, Phoenix began to return it back to the strongbox, carefully putting it under lock and key.

As she was pulling the rug back over its original location, a knock came on the door. She stopped for a moment, her heart beating wildly for a moment, before she adjusted the rug a little and called out, "Who is it?"

"Juri, commander." A unnaturally chirpy voice came through the door.

"What is it?" Phoenix asked as she got closer to the door and asked.

"The human has woken. I have ordered the guards to not reveal it and prevent anyone else from coming...but I'm waiting for you to give any extra orders."

Hearing her subordinate speak of the length she had to go to exert her authority, Phoenix could not help but feel a pang of guilt over what had happened. _We have to do such things to make sure that everything goes well...and Juri has lost her sister…_

Phoenix, hiding her true feelings, replied, "I'm coming down now."

* * *

With a few groans, a boy wearing a not-so-immaculate set of school uniform sat up. The room he was in was dimly lit, it's only light source coming from a barred window set in a high location.

"Ow...the back of my head hurts like - hey, what's this?" As Daniel pushed himself off the bed, he noticed a certain weight on his chest.

He moved to grab it, only for his arm to be suddenly snap in place with a clatter of chains. Yelping at the shock, he looked around to see what tied him down, and hissed.

"Wow really? I can't see shit, I can't even move, and…" He cursed a few times, profanities thrown about wildly by his sharp tongue. After struggling a little, he resigned to simply making himself feel more comfortable, and gradually began to calm down.

"Still...if this is a jail, and if Abyssals had to hold other Abyssals...its no surprise that they would try to use as many ways to make sure something as strong as a supersoldier doesn't escape." Daniel dryly commented.

"Now...what are you going to do...Ultr-"

The clatter of keys came from behind the door, causing the youth to look at it with apprehension and nervousness. The lock turned, and the door swung open, revealing two Abyssals who were standing in the doorframe.

Daniel surveyed them - he recognised both of them. One of them was a Ri-Class Heavy Cruiser...and the other was the very same Wo-Class Aircraft Carrier that had tried to talk to him earlier.

As he was staring at them both, the Wo-Class turned to her companion. "Get his chains off, and please leave us alone."

 _Huh...why do Abyssals speak proper, almost perfect English again? Shouldn't they be conversing in alien or something?_ The boy wondered.

After the second Abyssal had bowed and left, Daniel suddenly felt the chains on his wrists grow warm, before dropping off completely. Raising his arms as they were freed, he surveyed his wrists, checking for any pernament damage. Meanwhile, the Wo-Class stepped into the room, the door closing behind her.

"What's your name?" She asked, her voice as cold as a block of ice.

Daniel looked up at her, nervousness reentering his system. "Um...Daniel...Feng...ma'am." Unsure, he added the honorific at the end. _We are working together, aren't we?_

The Abyssal cocked her head to the side. "'Ma'am'? What do you mean by that?"

"Um...it's...it's just a way to address others with respect...a-among humans, you see." Daniel replied with a nervous smile.

"I see." Still high and cold, the Abyssal tried to assume a commanding role - until she looked down at his chest, seeing a certain object, in which her tone simply fell flat. "What's that on your chest?"

"Eh," Confused for a moment, the youth finally recalled the strange weight on his chest and neck. Reaching for it, he found an amulet or talisman of some sort, hanging of a necklace, with a symbol engraved on it. "I don't know-whoa!"

Suddenly, the symbol lit up, causing him to drop it with shock. At the same time, the exasperated voice of a certain white-clothed Abyssal filled the room. _"_ _Can we just continue instead of these antics? Time is short."_

"Ultra?" Both Daniel and the Abyssal voiced their surprise.

 _"_ _I'm using this...pendant...to act as beacon of sorts, similar to what you have, Phoenix. Now, can we continue?"_

"I don't recall letting you randomly place random objects around my body." Daniel growled, feeling a little offended.

 _"_ _And you have my apologies. However, as I said, time is short, and not all of us has the time for bickering."_ Ultra spoke - and Daniel saw the Abyssal named Phoenix shift a little at her words. _"_ _Oh, also, you are hearing my voice through your mind, Daniel, so do not be worried that anyone is listening in...especially regarding our agreement."_

"Um...okay, got it." Left with nothing to say, Daniel waited for the Abyssal to continue.

"Alright. Phoenix, meet Daniel. Daniel, meet Phoenix - or Giant-Phoenix-That-Watches, her name in full."

"...Pleased to meet you, Phoenix." Staring at the humanoid abomination with as much bravery he could muster, Daniel raised a hand in greeting.

As Phoenix stared at the gesture with confusion, Ultra stepped in to enlighten her. _"_ _Its another human gesture of respect, and it signifies mutual respect. Just grab hold and shake it."_

Phoenix gently grabbed the proffered hand - causing Daniel to realise how surprisingly warm it was - and shook it.

 _"_ _Right."_ Ultra announced. _"_ _Now that we are back on track, can you begin?"_

"Let's...see…" Daniel began, but stopped. "Wait a moment...um...do you have any...um…'recordings' or something similar?"

"Records?" Phoenix asked. "Do you mean -"

 _"_ _I assumes he means something like after-battle reports, details of fleet engagements...basically, records of any engagements with the humans."_ Ultra answered.

"Yeah." Daniel agreed. "You see...I come from a different world, and while I know what you are and the basic situation...there are a lot of things that could be different, such as...um...tactics, weapons...and...and I need to see them in action or at least their effects...you...you get the idea, don't you both?"

 _"_ _I understand."_ Ultra replied. _Phoenix - could we use your help?"_

"You plan to use my memories? Alright." At her superior's command, Phoenix immediately sat on the bed, holding a hand out to Daniel .

 _"_ _Hold it."_ Ultra instructed. _"_ _I will be recreating Phoenix's memories for you, and we can review it while we go along."_

"Under...understood." Gently, nervously, Daniel took hold of Phoenix's hand-

And he was plunged into an expanse of white light.

* * *

Somewhere far to the east from where a group of Abyssals gathered, a group of vessels sailed through the waters.

Six vessels, all comprising a single squadron. Five of which were the same - a sleek, long hull with a sharp knife-like edge at its front, measuring about two hundred meters long, with a squat, short bridge, a turret at the front and a helicopter deck at the back.

The ship leading this movement was a much larger ship that reached three hundred meters with a long, wide deck, and a flag with white top half, red bottom and a yellow sun set in its middle with ten stars orbiting it.

At the front of this ship, standing at the edge of the deck, stood a tall, handsome figure, wearing his naval dress and cap, staring into the horizon.

From behind him, a lone, childlike figure, wearing a similar uniform and holding a clipboard, approached.

"Rear Admiral…" She softly began, with a voice that sounded too young for military service - at least, decades ago. "What are you doing, standing there?"

"Oh, Fubuki." The Admiral turned around, smiling. "Just...wondering about...things."

"Really? What are you thinking about?" The former shipgirl, curious, poked further.

A few of their fellow shipmates walked past, sneaking a glance at the curious couple.

"Just...well my job, really. Me being suddenly promoted to Rear Admiral, and well..." The superior answered.

A small chuckle came from the all too experienced, deceptively young soldier. "I think there's nothing to be worried about...after all, you got promoted based on that battle alone, Daniel."

The Admiral huffed. "Yeah...I...guess you are right."

The both of them watched the sunset, when suddenly, a timer beeped as it time ran out.

"Welp, I guess that's it for now." Stretching, the naval officer got to leave. "Let's prepare for the battle."

"Alright." The both of them turned to leave, making a beeline for the bridge, preparing for war.

==|Chapter 2 End|==


End file.
